The unit says they sent questions to Gordhan only because they thought he was a suitable man to talk to as he headed Sars when the unit was set up.

Last week, Gordhan said the question were sent to him just before he presented his budget in a bid to intimidate him, but the Presidency says there's no plot against him.

In a statement, the office of national Hawks, Head Berning Ntlemeza, says it can confirm it's investigating a case concerning the alleged illegal operations by a so-called rogue unit within Sars and not Gordhan per se.

It then says Gordhan was Sars commissioner when the unit was established and thus, as part of its investigations, they thought he was a suitable person to talk to, hence they sent him questions to answer.